HOOVER, Ala. (WIAT) — Nearly 40,000 people die each year from automobile accidents, and three thousand of those are teenagers behind the wheel.

Those numbers are one of the reasons why the Alabama Region of the Porsche Club of America got involved with Street Survival, which provides teens with a “hands on driving experience in real-world situations.”

“We’re showing them what happens when you overdrive a car and it starts pushing or sliding,” said Porter Fell, president of the Alabama Region.

Teens alternated between a classroom setting and getting behind the wheel. They used their own vehicles to feel their anti-lock brakes in action, navigate through a slalom course, and control their car on a skid pad.

The weather only aided the learning process.

“That’s perfect conditions for doing what we are trying to do here,” Fell said. “To teach these teenagers what to do when a car gets a little out of control either under heavy braking or too much steering or slippery conditions.”

“I’m already out of my comfort zone and doing things that I’ve never done before,” said Molly Sharit, one of the teens who participated in today’s event. “I guess (the rain) just adds to it, but it’s not bad.”

This was the first year the event was held locally and every spot in the session was filled before Saturday.

“We are enjoying doing this,” Fell said. “This is part of a national program that we’re sponsoring here locally. This is a course we are hoping to be able to bring back on an annual basis to the Birmingham area and team more kids how to be safer drivers.”